Belted Kingfisher

Well, the day has finally come, tomorrow we'll be leaving Lajitas for our trip North to move to South Dakota, so this post will be the last one for a week or 2 (or 3) (or 4)....

We're pretty much packed and ready to go, just a few things to be packed away tomorrow and we're all set.

The last couple of days we've been cleaning and fixing up and preparing for the big day!

            

James checked all caulking on the in- and outside of the rig and was very happy to find some spots cracking and failing so he could try out his newest toy, an electric caulking gun ... I guess you can't live without one ....

 

The breaks of both the truck and the RV needed to be adjusted (pic on the right) and everything that needed to be greased has been greased ...

As I mentioned before, a couple of weeks ago we rid both of our closets of clothes that we didn't wear anymore, which amounted to an embarrassing lot I must say, and last Saturday we went to the flea-market in Terlingua to try to sell some of them.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't really good, we even had a few drops, and there weren't very many vendors and even less buyers ....

We sold a few things but had to take a full box back again. Oh, well, I'll try E-bay next.

Talking about weather, we had a very violent storm a couple of days ago, definitely the worst one we've been through while we've been here.

Boy, did it blow!

I was scared for the awnings but miraculously, they held (due to our power-hook awning tensioners), and we came through the whole ordeal unscathed.

Other than that, I've not much news to tell. The cacti are still doing there flowering thing and now the Ocotillos are all in full flower too!

Amazing how pretty these ugly, nasty, dead looking sticks will look after some rain ....

I took one more walk around the Resort to look for birds, on one of my favorite trails next to the golf course. This is the specially therefore designed bird-walk, along the first 2 holes and the large pond behind them.

This Great Egret couple has been hanging around here for a while now, I bet they're going to raise a family soon ...

            

They're easy to spot and, mainly because of their size, I was finally able to get a 'bird-in-flight' shot. As I said, they're hard to miss ....

The pond is surrounded by low prickly bushes and several large trees, and on a branch overhanging the water, I spotted this beautiful Green Heron:

Another fairly large bird with very striking colors, very pretty!

The morning had started out rather cool but now the sun was out and these Painted Turtles were taking advantage of the warming rays ...

Well, I think that was all she wrote, for now. 
I'll continue in a couple of weeks, hopefully with some fun and/or interesting pictures of the trip.

I hope it will be an uneventful one and especially without any signs/sights of tornadoes (keep your fingers crossed)...... 
I'll be baaaack!

Texas Rainbow Cactus

Easter has come and gone already and we're only 1 more week from leaving! I can't wait to be on the road again!

I looked at the temperature in Sturgis for today and to me 55F sounds soooo much better than the 92-95 we had here yesterday!

I'm very much a 'cool' gal!

Like I said last time, the cacti have exploded so this is going to be a very flowery post ....

 

The enormous flowers of the Texas rainbow Cactus are just unbelievable! I have to take pictures whenever I see one! 

Despite thorns that are finding their way right through the soles of my shoes or even some that got stuck on the hem of my skirt and than proceeded to set my calves on fire when they brushed against them. Ouch, ouch, ouch ......

But the Prickly Pears steal the show just by being so abundant and because of their wide spreading growth and massive amount of flowers on one single plant:

The incredible Bluebonnets are still flowering too ....

This plant was extraordinary vibrant, I didn't enhance it at all, isn't it amazing?

And still more Rainbow Cacti, I just can't help myself .....

These pink Engelmann's Hedgehog's are only just starting, they're usually a little later, but this year they seem to want to join the party!

Phew!!! What a spectacle! I can't wait to go on my walks in the morning, can you believe it? Also, I don't want to miss any of it, because it might be a while before we're in the desert again!

Like I said, Easter has come and gone, here in Lajitas even the Mayor got into the spirit:

He's such a good egg ....

There was the annual egg-hunt on the lawns between the sidewalks:

 

And the pictures with the Easter Bunny:

Although not everybody thought that was a whole lot of fun ....

Our resident dog, Wile-E, didn't want anything to do with him ...

The weather was gorgeous and we had lunch outside. I brought out the tripod to make this Easter portrait. 

Better than a 'selfie', although, just when I started to think I didn't set the timer correctly, it all of a sudden made the picture.

I might look a little concerned, but believe me, we're OK!

Prickly Poppy

Temperatures are on the rise and with the rains of lately the wildflowers are out of this world! 

Normally, the bluebonnets are long gone by now, before the cacti are starting to bloom, but the valleys around here are still full of them, cheerfully mingling with various yellow and white blossoms and yes, .... the cacti are starting!

    

The huge flowers above are from the Texas Rainbow Cacti and the bottom one is a large Prickly Pear:

Since I walk in the early morning the flowers have not unfolded yet in these pictures, so one of these days I'll go back in the afternoon, despite the heat (F92!), and get some better shots.

Birds are singing at the top of their voice, gathering and building ....

                            

....and newly weds seem to have  their first tiffs!                   

 

James is finishing some last projects at work and is teaching his successor the management-ropes.

Although he was promised not to, he'll have to do 2 more MOD (Manager on duty) shifts next week, so we're going to make the two reciprocated meals at the restaurant count! 

Mmmm, I'm thinking Filet Mignon ....!

Easter is coming up (wow, that's early) and the Mimosa is flowering. Somehow that always looks so 'easterly' to me? Thinking of that, I'll see if I can dig up some of my Easter decorations ... eh,  .. do I still have them ...?

Other than that there's not much going on, I'm doing some extra laundry (I guess it's spring-cleaning time) and am still working on our route up North to South Dakota.

Two more weeks and we're leaving! Yeah!

Our first 'final' destination will be the Days End campground in Sturgis, where we're going to stay for the first month only, since our campground of choice in Lead won't open until the end of May.

James will be working for a carpenter/builder in Lead to do finished carpentry and I'll be doing a few hours at the campground in return for reduced rate.

When we move to our final final destination I was thinking I might venture into some dog-walking/sitting services, but I'm looking at liability issues and insurence right now, and it might be more than I want to get myself into.

I think there would be a market though, with people wanting to sight-see and leaving their pets in the rig all day?

These Chocolate chip meringue cookies are supposed to make it until Easter . Made with walnuts and Splenda. (healthy, no ....?)

Just one, for the picture and to see if they're OK .... ;-)